Next Contestant
by NCISBALTOFAN
Summary: (Second story in my The Ties That Bind Us series, read The Ties That Bind Us first). Dean is attempting to make his feelings about Adrienne known to her, but when he finds out she's dating someone else, a guy named Denny Peterson, Dean's jealously is unexplainable. But when the unthinkable happens to Dean will he finally have the guts to tell Adrienne how he feels? DeanxOC
1. Chapter 1

One

Dean Winchester trudged along the dirt ground towards Howlers, the creature bar that his best friend Adrienne owned. His Angelhound Titan tramped alongside him panting and occasionally looking up to meet Dean's stern gaze. A lot had changed in the last three months.

Dean sighed and felt the cool night air on his skin as he saw his breath in front of him, coming out in hot wisps. He opened the door to the bar and was immediately greeted by the smell of spilt booze and cigarettes. Creatures and humans of all kinds were seated at various tables and at the bar sipping their "poison" of choice. Dean plopped himself down on one of the red torn and worn barstools. He ordered a beer from the current barkeeper and graciously drank most of it.

He was trying to forget yesterday…

-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Yesterday had been Adrienne's birthday and Dean being the good friend that he was had decided to take her out to dinner at this really nice restaurant called _Giovanni's_. He'd set up the reservations in advance and even booked them the nicest booth by the window. The lights were dimmed low in the place and each table had a bouquet of roses on it.

"_Really Dean?" _Adrienne had said. "_You didn't have to do all this for me?"_

_ "Sure I did." _Dean had smiled and let into her side of the booth before he'd sat down himself across from her. _"It IS your birthday after all. Order whatever yah want it's on me."_

A lot of conversation was made that evening. Adrienne had laughed loudly from Dean's jokes and stories and Dean had listened intently to Adrienne's. Various other people had shuffled through the restaurant, but to Dean they were as non-existent as their words. All he could focus on was Adrienne. The way she laughed, her smile, her everything. Everything about her was beautiful and last night had proved that even more. Adrienne had gotten a steak dinner and Dean had gotten a gourmet burger with everything on it. They'd also gotten slices of key lime pie and cheesecake for dessert. They'd taken turns stealing bites of each other's pastries and laughing over it. Dean had left the waitress, whom he'd not stolen a glance at all evening; a generous tip and the pair had left the restaurant happy and full.

That was when the trouble had started in Dean's opinion.

A man with short black hair, stubble on his chin, and blue eyes had approached Adrienne smiling and calling her name. She'd turned with a big smile and threw her arms around his neck before she'd kissed him. She'd kissed him…Dean had stood there wide eyed and seething with jealously and rage. The blue eyed man had placed his hand on Adrienne's hip and held her close to him. He'd been wearing a worn out band t-shirt from some no name underground band that Dean had never heard of, blue jeans, and black Converse. He'd looked like a dick and that wasn't just because Dean was jealous.

"_Oh Dean," _Adrienne had said. "_This is Denny Peterson, my boyfriend."_

Those words had been poison in Dean's mouth.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Now Dean sat at the bar drowning his sorrows in beer. He scratched behind Titan's ear and clanked his glass bottle down, his head hanging and he was counting the scratches in the bar's counter. He then saw a familiar hand wiping down the counter and he looked up to see a smiling Adrienne.

"Hey hot shot." Adrienne smiled big and set her rag down. "How it hanging?"

"The usual." Dean chuckled slightly; he was still getting over the hurt from the night before. "Been tracking cases, trying to find something to do."

"I see." Adrienne smiled bigger; she seemed twice as giddy tonight Dean noticed. "Well I have to thank you for dinner last night I'm still stuffed and I've just been working."

"Yeah." Dean looked over the smoke and the haze and saw Denny standing in the corner, a beer in his hand and a dickish smile on his face. "I see uh…Denny's here."

"Yeah." She giggled. "He's so sweet; of course I've been working all night so I haven't really gotten a chance to…"

Her words were cut off when Denny suddenly kissed Adrienne flat on the lips and Dean grumbled under his breath. Denny smirked and his gaze turned sour when he saw Dean.

"You remember my best friend Dean right Denny?" Adrienne asked.

"Yeah I remember babe." Denny kissed her cheek. "Hey Dean how's it going?"

"Fine." Dean said flatly, he refused to converse with this lowlife.

"Hey baby I gotta get something from the back off the truck?" Adrienne said to Denny. "Do you mind watching the bar while I do?"

"Sure babe I don't mind." He Eskimo kissed her and then Dean saw him slightly slap her ass on her way out, she giggled, but he was filled to the brink with anger.

"Listen buddy." He looked around then about growled at Denny. "I don't know who you think you are, but if you have any self respect for women and love for your dick don't make me rip it off you right here and right now."

"No you listen dickhead." Denny glared at Dean, he looked over his shoulder once to make sure Adrienne wasn't listening. "You don't get to threaten me or encroach on my territory namely my girl, you may be her friend but she's with me and there's nothing you can do about that."

"That's what you think." Dean set his glass down and looked away to where Adrienne had just re-entered Howlers. He could've sworn he heard a small "plink" of liquid in his glass but he didn't really give it a second thought. He drank the last swig of his beer and then sighed before standing to leave.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Dean stood in the alleyway, leaning against the wall of Howlers. Titan had disappeared and returned to Heaven as he often did. Dean wiped his brow and blinked a few times. He felt hot and sweaty and a bit dizzy. He removed his jacket and held it on his arm while he fanned his face.

Suddenly though, the alleyway begun to spin and everything became fuzzy. He held his head and could barely make out the figure coming towards him. It was a man, he was only slightly taller than Dean and he wore an almost evil smirk.

"Hey there pretty boy." The man said and smirked at Dean.

Dean felt his grimy hands on him but he was powerless to fight back. He sucked in a shaky breath before his vision became worse and he felt his eyelids drooping. His pants were being pulled from his body and he felt unspeakable things next. All he could do was close his eyes, he was just so tired.

**Read and Review**

**So guys this is the second story in the Ties That Bind Us series I'm writing. **

**So Adrienne's dating a dick now yay! *not* and what the hell just happened to Dean?!**

**More to come soon guys**


	2. Chapter 2

~Two~

Dean's vision was blurry when he stumbled away. He felt another strong pair of arms around him, but these arms weren't like the one's who'd just touched him. They were familiar, comforting, and safe.

"Dean." Castiel said with extreme concern and clarity even though Dean's senses were entirely off. The alleyway around him was all but gone. He could barely even focus on Castiel's blue eyes.

"C-Cas..?" Dean stammered and cleared his throat as best he could. Castiel eyed his friend all over. Dean's clothing was half falling off of him, he was covered in sweat and various other…bodily fluids which were not his own. His hair was messy and ruffled in various directions resembling Castiel's most days. Dean shivered even though he wasn't cold. His eyes met Castiel's and they were filled with inhuman levels of fear and his pupils were bigger than saucers. Castiel sighed and wrapped his trench coat around Dean before helping him to his feet.

"Yes Dean," Castiel felt sickened for not being able to protect his friend. "It is me."

-8-8-8-8-8-

Dean stumbled every step of the way to his and Sam's motel door. Castiel had flown his friend, against his better judgment, to the motel and was currently debating on how he'd tell Sam of what had happened. Castiel hadn't witnessed much. He'd only caught the tail end of the crime and Dean's attacker readjusting his belt before taking off into the darkness leaving Dean in a shaking heap in the alleyway. These were the times Castiel questioned his superiors, when bad things happened. He knew there was a natural order when it came to deaths, but things, vile unspeakable crimes like this happening to Dean much less anybody else, that was when Castiel truly questioned the job of Heaven.

Castiel knocked on the door, supporting Dean and allowing him to lean into his neck and shoulder. Dean's warm, overheated skin was worrying Castiel and he found himself smoothing the hunter's sticky hair back and away from his forehead. He yanked his hand away when Sam opened the door, his mouth opening slightly ajar in shock.

"Dean…" Castiel said breathlessly. "Dean was…he had an accident…"

Sam didn't say a word; one look at Dean told him what the "accident" Castiel was referring to was. He took his older brother into his arms and dragged him towards his bed. Castiel walked briskly over towards where Dean now lay and his eyes stared sadly at the hunter. Castiel cursed himself for not arriving there earlier, he could've helped Dean.

Sam stripped Dean down to his boxers and tucked a thin sheet over him. He quickly walked to the bathroom and wet a washcloth. He walked back over to Dean and begun dabbing Dean's cheeks and forehead with cool water. Dean groaned and shifted slightly in bed, his vision coming a bit more into focus, but his pupils were still extremely dilated so he was twice as sensitive to light as before.

"S-Sammy…s'at you?" Dean slurred, his words coming on as one long one.

"Yeah Dean it's me." Sam sighed. "What happened man? You never let your guard down how'd you managed to get…drugged like this?"

"W-Was at Howlers…" Dean begun to explain as best he could in his state right now. "Adrienne's d-dick boyfriend was there…h-he doesn't like me…"

"I can see that." Sam gritted his teeth; surely Adrienne wouldn't have let this happen to Dean? "Look Dean you just…you just sleep right now ok? I-I'll call Adrienne I'll see if she noticed anything strange just…sleep Dean."

Dean was more than happy to oblige as he leaned back and closed his eyes. There was pain deep rooted in his brow and behind those eyelids of his. His heart had been beating like a herd of wild horses and the sweat didn't stop pouring down his body. Sam ruffled Dean's hair a bit before standing and walked over to Castiel.

"You find out who did this and why." Sam's gaze was stern. "They hurt my brother."

"I will do my best Sam." Castiel nodded and flew off towards the bar. Sam took a seat on the chair nearest the door and pulled out his phone to check the time, Adrienne would be working right about now, but he figured if anything Castiel would get whoever did this to talk and Adrienne was probably too busy to answer the phone.

He could've called Ronnie, but she'd been out of town for awhile "kicking it" as she said, on her own. She'd been doing various hunts alone lately. Ever since Adrienne had found out her true past there was no need for them to keep hunting together anymore, they still lived together in the rooms above Howlers, but they never were quite as friendly with one another ever since Ronnie had learned what Adrienne actually was.

He could've called Alice and Adam, but they were gone as well. They were going on hunts by themselves as well in order to "bond" per say. Adam hadn't seen Alice in years until he was raised a few months ago from the pit by an unknown benefactor. As much as Adam had loved being free from Michael's, who was now dead thanks to some help from his family and a few angels up above, controlling hand but he'd missed his daughter Alice most of all. Now that he was on Earth with her he'd taken advantage of the time he now had to hunt with Alice and catch up with her.

He could pray to Gabriel, but he hated interrupting the archangel when he didn't have to. He and Sam had been secretly seeing one another to avoid criticism from Dean and Bobby. Sam had vowed to take that secret to his grave if not further. He couldn't ask Gabriel of all people, the person Dean hated most, for help involving Dean.

Sam even thought for a moment of praying to Balthazar or Lucifer. Both angels were in Heaven now due to Lucifer's redemption and re-admittance into Heaven, which Sam still couldn't honestly believe had happened. Lucifer and Balthazar were both Adrienne's real parents and that fact was still settling itself into Sam's mind, much less the fact that Lucifer was a good guy again. He'd helped the Winchester's, Bobby, Alice, Ronnie, and Adrienne all defeat his brother Michael who'd been raised from Hell along with him and Adam. They still had never figured out who'd risen them, but they had decided to just leave it be for the time being and take as a miracle. It still left a bad taste in Sam's mouth though. He shook off the idea of involving any of the people he'd thought about and just looked back over at Dean before settling back in his chair.

-8-8-8-8-8-

When Castiel arrived at Howlers he felt a sense of dread in the air. He felt eyes on him, but they were unseen to anyone. There was nobody within a mile radius at this hour outside of the bar. Still, Castiel couldn't shake the feeling. He shook his head and walked into the bar. Little did he know, he'd had that feeling for a reason, a pair of eerily familiar eyes that belonged to Donathan was watching him from the shadows. A smirk played across the angel's face and he chuckled to himself before walking a bit further down the alleyway and disappearing back up to Heaven.

Castiel's stern gaze fell upon Adrienne the second he saw her. She was unpacking the supplies for the next night's opening. Castiel walked swiftly over to her and shoved her hard up against the wall. Her first instinct was to flair her wings up above her head in a dominance display towards Castiel. Castiel huffed and his eyes glowed with a bright white light.

"Adrienne!" Castiel growled practically. "You let Dean get hurt!"

"I what?" she asked, shocked. "Cas I have no idea what you're talking about Dean left unharmed after I came back from unloading the truck!"

"He was slipped some kind of drug and he was…" Castiel bit his tongue, but he finally spit out the disgusting word he hated most of all. "He was raped Adrienne!"

"Oh my God…" Adrienne covered her mouth in shock and tears pricked in her eyes, Castiel's eyes stopped glowing and he backed away a bit, clearly Adrienne was in as much shock as he was confirming that she knew nothing about what had happened to Dean. "O-Oh my G-God…is-is he ok…I mean I know that's a s-stupid question but…"

"He's safe." Castiel nodded. "He is back at the motel room Sam and he are renting out, but he is in bad shape. He took some serious drugs, which is very unlike Dean, so they must have been slipped in his drink or something like that?"

"That's impossible I gave him his drink the only other person who was there when I did that was…" Adrienne's realization was delayed but finally she glared and drew her knife. "Denny!"

Adrienne and Castiel burst through the back doors of Howlers to where Denny was emptying the trash cans into the dumpster. Adrienne stalked over to him with a look that could kill. She slammed him against the wall with the angelic half of her powers and in her eyes you see flames, the demonic side of her shining through.

"What did you do to my friend Dean you bastard!" Adrienne exclaimed, holding her knife up to Denny's neck and pressing deeper and deeper slowly.

"Dick had it coming!" Denny yelled back, coughing slightly from the pressure on his windpipe. "He was trying to take my girl from me!"

"Dean is my friend and you drugged him!" Adrienne spat in Denny's face. "And you're a jealous asshole Denny! Go to hell!"

Adrienne them shoved her knife into Denny's heart and he screamed before disappearing into nothing. Adrienne huffed and smoothed her hair back before turning to Castiel.

"Well now that that's over with," Adrienne sighed. "This is why I don't date, because people I care about always get hurt. Anyways, take me to Dean please Cas."

"Absolutely." Castiel nodded and the both of them flew towards the motel room.

**Read and Review and Favorite and Follow and all that good stuff!**

**So why is Donathan always watching them all?**

**And will Dean be ok?**

**More to come soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

~Three~

Adrienne and Castiel flew to the corridor of the motel and walked over towards the room that Sam and Dean were renting. Adrienne bit back a sigh as she rapped her knuckles against the door. She opened the door slightly to find Sam sitting across from his brother who was sleeping in bed. Titan, Dean's Angelhound was whining and licking his master's hand. Adrienne covered her mouth and tried not to let any tears fall.

"Adrienne." Sam said as he walked over to her embracing her in a tight hug. He ran a hand through her hair trying to calm her down. "Hey Adrienne its ok, Dean's ok. He's gonna be just fine. He's sleeping it off."

"I-It's all my fault Sam," Adrienne cried, she buried her face into Sam's shoulder. "I shouldn't have let my guard down, not for a second! I just can't believe Dean was…"

She couldn't even finish her sentence. She choked a bit as she inhaled, but managed to compose herself as she slowly walked over to Dean's bedside. She sat down and Dean, feeling the new weight on the bed begun to stir. He slowly opened his eyes and was met with Adrienne's smiling face.

"A-Adrienne." He rasped out with a weak smile.

"Hey Dean," Adrienne touched her hand to his cheek. That alone, it made his heart skip a beat once again. "It's a stupid question but, are you doing any better?"

"I'm much better now that you're here princess." Dean chuckled, coughing just a bit. He cleared his throat and shifted a little under the covers, grunting in pain at every attempt to move.

"I'm sure." She smirked and gently pressed down on his chest. "You need to rest. You just went through some pretty serious trauma."

"Hey uh maybe," Dean laughed pointing his finger at her chest. "If you dress in one of those candy striper uniforms I'll feel better."

"You're such a pervert Dean!" Adrienne laughed and playfully pushed him, not enough to hurt him though.

"Just doing my job," Dean smirked. "You wouldn't have me any other way."

"Well Mr. Winchester." Adrienne begun to say.

"Getting formal now aren't we? I mean you and me were on a first name basis sweet tart?" Dean laughed.

"Dean Winchester," Adrienne shrieked. "Stop calling me stripper names! You're delusional."

"What can I say?" Dean lay back down, snuggling into the covers and pillow. "You bring out the best in me?"

"Go to sleep you raging perv." Adrienne snorted and stood up. She sauntered over to the chair next to the television and sat down, crossing her legs and smiling at Dean. Dean smiled back and soon he found himself fast asleep. Adrienne's smile faded a bit. Sam reluctantly went to grab a soda from the vending machine outside leaving Castiel and Adrienne alone with Titan the whiny undead dog and comatose Dean.

"You are troubled for no reason Adrienne." Castiel commented, still keeping a watchful eye on his sleeping friend as he sat down next to Adrienne on the edge of the table. "If you let guilt build up inside of you eventually it will eat you away to nothingness, you can't beat yourself up over this."

"All my life," Adrienne said, a lump forming in her throat. "All my life Castiel, I've watched the people I care about, my friends; my family who hates me and despises me. I've seen nothing but bad things happen when I'm around. I just don't understand why Dean can't see I'm a threat to him, to all of you, by just being around. Why do you think Ronnie left? Alice too?"

"They chose to forge their own paths for awhile," Castiel explained looking from her to Dean who was snuggled peacefully, arms crossed, Titan nuzzling his side a bit before he too lay down next to the hunter. "You two have chosen your own path; you were so determined to figure out who your parents were and you did find out. You may not have liked the results, but you achieved what you wanted to. We all in this world just want to be happy. Dean has taught me many things, but when he taught me about free will well, I think that's the lesson that stuck with me most of all."

Adrienne turned to face Castiel who had a small smile on his face.

"Sometimes bad things happen," Castiel said, placing a hand on Adrienne's shoulder. "But there is also a lot of good in this world Adrienne. You are not bad. You are good. Dean sees that in you. He sees who you truly are and you are good. This, what happened to Dean? It wouldn't have mattered if you had been there or not, you couldn't have changed anything. But now, he just needs a friend Adrienne. He needs you."

She looked from Castiel to Dean's sleeping form. The hunter's chest rose and fell with such peace. More than Adrienne or Castiel had ever seen. Dean was truly resting. He felt safe. He felt secure. If Adrienne left now she knew that would go away. Dean had been through so much that night. It was the least she could do to stay.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Hours passed. Sam came and went, stating there was a bar nearby he was going to check out. Castiel went with him with no argument from Sam after what had happened to his brother. Adrienne and Dean were left alone with nothing but Titan, the television, and each other.

"You know this is like the first five minutes of every porno I've ever seen?" Dean chuckled as Adrienne shoved him a bit. She had tucked herself under the covers. She and Dean had decided to watch some B grade movie and eat popcorn to pass the time. Although neither of them had paid much attention to the TV screen. Dean's eyes had been focusing on Adrienne ever since he'd woken up. She didn't seem to notice either.

"You are such a horny bastard!" Adrienne laughed and popped another piece of popcorn into her mouth, chewing happily. Dean reached his hand into the bowl and scooped up some of the snack eating it in one bite. "And a pig at that."

"Thanks darling I'll put that on my resume." Dean smirked and looked over at the fifty foot woman attacking the town. He couldn't focus though, his eyes kept drawing him back to her. He swallowed a lump that had been forming low in his throat and tried to avert his gaze.

"Sam told me you should be fine by tomorrow," Adrienne said. "So you can go back to your exciting night life of pillaging bars and exotic stripper women."

"Actually Adrienne I," Dean said clearing his throat and picking up some more popcorn. "I think those days are behind me."

"Dean Winchester saying that he no longer wants to see strippers and booze it up?" Adrienne reached over and placed a hand on his forehead. "Are you running a fever?"

"I'm fine." Dean said. "I just…I think I've matured a bit since those days and I feel like I can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel yah know? A future maybe?"

"Apple pie life?" Adrienne questioned. "You said it yourself Dean that wasn't possible, not for any of us?"

"Maybe I just have a bit more faith now," Dean explained. "Maybe it's all possible."

"Ok who is she?" Adrienne scooted closer to him and he tried to hide the blush crawling across his freckle strewn cheeks.

"She?" Dean stammered. "What are you talking about?"

"Clearly you've met somebody," Adrienne smirked playfully and noogied him earning a laugh. "C'mon who is she? Or he I mean I don't judge if you swing that way Dean?"

"It's a she thank you very much," Dean stopped laughing and sighed. "And she's…she's everything I could've ever imagined."

"She really means that much to you?" Adrienne asked, genuinely curious.

Dean turned to her and looked her in her deliciously blue eyes. Here he was, telling the girl he was in love with a story about the girl he was in love with, Adrienne not knowing at all that he was talking about her. It was all so much more complicated than it needed to be, but Dean couldn't tell her. He couldn't allow himself to be that vulnerable, not yet.

"She's my entire world." Dean nodded; a pained looked on his face.

"Well whoever she is," Adrienne leaned back into the pillows. "She's lucky to be loved by someone as amazing as you Dean. You'll make her really happy one day I'm sure of it."

"_I'm already trying so damn hard, you don't even know." _Dean thought to himself.

Dean looked over at Adrienne, happy smiling Adrienne and lay down next to her. He moved her hair from falling into her eyes and she smiled a little brighter. He felt his heart palpitate once again. There was this sort of easy silence that fell over the room whenever Dean was around Adrienne. He felt as if nothing else existed. She really was his world.

She pulled the covers up to her chest and giggled a bit at the movie. Dean turned his attention back to the glowing screen long enough for when he looked back over at her she was fast asleep. Dean smiled and smoothed her hair back from her forehead before leaning down and placing a kiss on it.

"Sleep tight angel." Dean said, sliding down further under the covers and closing his eyes also.

**Read and Reviews are always awesome! :D**

**So will Dean ever just tell her?**

**And hopefully he'll heal soon so things can get back to normal. **

**More to come soon! I'm terribly sorry for my hiatus!**


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